Knox News invited the Democratic and Republican nominees, as well as independent candidates who met at least two of three requirements: Having an organized campaign, filed financial forms with the state, and collected donations or self-funded the campaign.
Here are their responses to in-person interviews and online questionnaires.
Democrat
Jerri Green
Age: 48
Occupation: Shelby County chief public defender, former co-chief of staff to the Shelby County mayor, Memphis City Councilmember
IN-PERSON INTERVIEW
What specific experiences in your life will guide how you lead all types of Tennesseans?
I think my career as a public defender has given me a front row seat to people and their struggles and finding ways to proximate to them and their pain to help solve their problems.
I think being a mom really is something that speaks to my leadership style. You have to wrangle people, you have to come to compromises, you have to clean up messes you didn’t make. It means I care deeply about the future. To me, that experience in my life is the most important. You have to balance the checkbook, there’s so many of those skills that come into play as a mom that come into leadership.
What will your first 90 days in office say about your term?
Hopefully it will show that I'm listening and it will show that I get to work. We have a really robust day one plan. We have a very robust agenda for our first budget, which doesn’t involve raising any taxes but does involve helping everyday Tennesseans with lots of different kinds of struggles. I hope what they can see is when government wants to get the work done, they can. We just need the right leadership. We want to pay down medical debt for over 100,000 Tennesseans on day one. We want to let doctors know they can practice medicine without fear of prosecution, because I believe protecting a woman’s life actually is pro-life. We would end our contracts with CoreCivic. We would end the 287(g) agreements. Ballad Healthcare, we would end that monopoly because people are receiving substandard care in most of East Tennessee. There’s a lot of things we have on our day one agenda. When we ge4t to our budget, we’re going to defund the vouchers to put that money back in public schools. We’re going to end the grocery tax and put it back on the corporations and billionaires where it belongs. We’re going to take Medicaid expansion money so we can hopefully reopen these rural hospitals and make healthcare more accessible and affordable. We can budget in a moral way that will help more families, teachers, veterans and single moms like mine, and actually use our tax dollars to help working people instead of corporations.
Who’s a leader you hope to emulate and why?
Dolly Parton. She found common ground in humanity and she had a sense of humor about it, but she did the work. She held fund the COVID-19 vaccine so we could reopen society, she invested in Black neighborhoods when Whitey Houstin sang “I will always love you” and made a lot of money on royalties. Her Imagination Library, my kids all got Dolly books. That kind of legacy that kind of impact, where what people see is the good you do through the deeds you actually do.
ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE
Tennessee is among the fastest-growing states in the country. What is the biggest challenge that growth creates? What's the greatest opportunity and how will you leverage it?
While the rapid growth Tennessee is experiencing is exciting, unmanaged growth can further price families out of their homes, deepen the strain on our public infrastructure, and widen the success gap between our metro economic centers and rural communities that shouldn’t be left behind. This economic momentum gives Tennessee the tax base and resources we need to reinvest directly in Tennesseans so we can all thrive. As governor, I will leverage this growth by focusing state investments on affordable housing, universal pre-K, and fully funding public education to ensure prosperity lifts up everyday families, not just corporations and the ultra-wealthy.
The state's Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations reported in February that the state needs at least $82.7 billion in public infrastructure improvements by 2029, a $5 billion increase from the year before. Much of the increase is in transportation. What are your plans to address urgent infrastructure spending for roads, schools, broadband internet, policing and health facilities?
I always say, a budget is a moral document. Show me your budget, and I’ll show you what you care about.
To address our massive infrastructure backlog, I will proudly support state Sen. Heidi Campbell and state Rep. Aftyn Behn's "Pot for Potholes" bill to legalize and tax recreational marijuana, creating a sustainable revenue stream to repair our roads and modernize public transit. Alongside this, I will champion a people-first budgeting approach that directs state surpluses and federal funds toward our critical infrastructure, modernizing high-speed broadband, fully funding K-12 public education and school facilities, supporting law enforcement with the resources they actually need, and expanding Medicaid and upgrading community health facilities to keep our hospitals open and care accessible.
Many Tennessee law enforcement agencies are investing significant resources into surveillance technology such as license plate readers, mounted cameras and drone units. What should the state’s role be in guiding and regulating the adoption of surveillance technology by law enforcement agencies?
The state must establish clear, strict guardrails to protect Tennesseans' civil liberties, privacy and constitutional rights from the unchecked expansion of surveillance tech like Flock cameras. The idea that we must sacrifice our constitutionally protected rights in order to have safe neighborhoods and communities is a false choice that only benefits the massive tech corporations that are pushing invasive surveillance as the only solution.
True community safety isn't built through constant surveillance or heavy-handed overreach. It is built by tackling the root causes of crime; investing in mental health treatment, expanding programs for our young people, supporting local law enforcement with the resources they actually need, and creating real economic opportunity so that every neighborhood has a stake in a secure future.
Did you use AI assistance to help write your answers? If not, please write "N/A." If so, please elaborate.
N/A
Independents
David Hatley
Age: 52
Occupation: Entrepreneur, businessowner
IN-PERSON INTERVIEW
What specific experiences in your life will guide how you lead all types of Tennesseans?
I think being born and raised in Tennessee. I was born in East Tennessee, I started a business right out of high school and have really been in the real world of operating companies for the last 33 years. By doing that, it allows you to deal with Tennesseans and understand Tennesseans and know what the needs are, where the weakness and strengths are. I think that’s honestly what drove me to run for governor, just knowing so much about Tennessee. We need to promote it, we need to make it better.
I’m not a CEO that rules from the boardroom. I like to meet, talk to all my people. When you get on the ground level, you hear the real world problems. I like to say, I own companies, but the reality is, I’m a problem solver.
What will your first 90 days in office say about your term?
I think the biggest thing would be how hands-on I am. I want to get very, very involved and understand what it’s going to take to turn some of these departments around and what it’s going to take to serve Tennesseans better than what we’re doing today. I’ve got to be able to work with (Democratic and Republican lawmakers). I believe I can because they’re all common sense and so am I.
The other part is running the government. The governor’s job is to appoint people managing the departments, knowing who’s leading each one, making sure we’re getting results and everything’s working the way we want it to. Three’s no question that’s my strength, but I also look forward to the other level of bringing people together on both sides of the aisle. I want to create an executive order to get an inspector general in there to audit our government. I believe the government has a lot of inefficiencies. The second thing would be the online checkbook, I’m a big believer of transparency in government.
Who’s a leader you hope to emulate and why?
I’ve always been a fan of Theodore Roosevelt. Besides the tragedy that Theodore Roosevelt went through, his life was just amazing. The guy lost his wife and his mom and he literally rides off and he’s on his own. He’s this wealthy man and he ends up running for president and does an incredible job. I love his quote where he says, "I like the man who tries and fails and not the man who sits around and critiques." That’s part of my journey here. I can sit around and be like everybody else and complain about the government, or I can jump in with the skillset that God blessed me with and do something.
ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE
David Hatley did not participate in the Knox News voter's guide online questionnaire.
Lauren Pinkston
Age: 39
Occupation: Anti-human trafficking advocate, educator, entrepreneur
IN-PERSON QUESTIONS
What specific experiences in your life will guide how you lead all types of Tennesseans?
I grew up in a really rural part of the state and have also lived and worked in urban centers in the state. I’ve lived all over the world and speak a few languages, so just bringing a worldview that is very complex shows me I need to be surrounded by people who think differently than me. Any time there’s a big decision to be made, I want the people of Tennessee to know and to trust that I’m going to put people around me who think differently than me so that I can make sure the best idea is what we choose, not the person who’s most loyal to me or a certain political party.
I think there’s so much that we have to be proud of in our country. It’s been really compelling to me that my friends in other countries without democracies have been sending me messages saying, “I’m sorry for what’s going on in your country.” I’m concerned that we’re losing the ideals we were founded on. I want to make sure as we move forward, that those things that made me proud to be American are preserved. That we’re making this a more perfect union every day, not a union that’s going backwards.
What will your first 90 days in office say about your term?
You’re going to see some things coming out of the governor’s office that will show we are a modern democracy putting the power back into the hands of people. You’re going to see a tool that tracks the calls we’re getting and shows people that your voice really does matter. On divisive issues, we’ll be tracking that feedback and we’ll be sending those reports weekly to all 33 senators and 99 representatives. You’re going to see a real commitment to robust debate.
You’re going to see a kind of governor that brings people from both sides of the aisle over for dinner to the mansion. (It’ll be) a real commitment to humanizing one another so that the real conversations that need to be had are the ones we’re having, not the ones that are paid for by special interest groups or lobbyist groups. You’re going to see a governor who’s on the ground every single day making sure we’re showing up in the parts of the state that feel like they’ve been overlooked.
Who’s a leader you hope to emulate and why?
One leader that I think about a lot is Eleanor Roosevelt. She was someone who went through a lot in her own marriage and, of course, was not always happy about the things that were going on. She was tenacious in her fight for equality and for justice. Something she said at the end of her life and really sticks with me is that “No one is entirely good and no one is entirely bad.” I hold that really close to my heart as I’m navigating a season where we’re very divided.
ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE
Tennessee is among the fastest-growing states in the country. What is the biggest challenge that growth creates? What's the greatest opportunity and how will you leverage it?
Although growth is a blessing, it shouldn’t be a burden hardworking Tennesseans should have to carry. Roughly 80% of recent growth has come from out-of-state migration and gas just hit $4.31 a gallon in Tennessee. Taxpayers foot the bill for roads, water lines and schools that serve new developments while out-of-state developers pocket the profits and enjoy the benefits of low property taxes. Needless costs like the state grocery tax, the impact of data-center construction, and unaffordable housing have left our honest work unable to afford even a modest lifestyle. Growth impacts everybody, making affordability the biggest issue for all of us.
But this also provides an opportunity to shift revenue back into our state. If the state government is truly accountable to its people, growth can benefit everyone.
First, more jobs means more people. My proposal begins with creating 50,000 new day care and preschool slots for working families. By incentivizing businesses to create on-site early childhood centers through state funding offsets, Tennessee gains back $2.6 billion annually in otherwise lost productivity while making lives easier for working families.
Further, real growth also means closing the affiliate loopholes billion-dollar corporations use to take revenue out of state, ending outsized incentives to companies that were relocating to Tennessee anyway, and pursuing a Data Revenue Share paid directly to Tennesseans by the biggest tech companies profiting off our personal data. Focusing on the future of tech protects us from being exploited by tech companies and creates more room for competition, benefiting the average consumer.
The state's Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations reported in February that the state needs at least $82.7 billion in public infrastructure improvements by 2029, a $5 billion increase from the year before. Much of the increase is in transportation. What are your plans to address urgent infrastructure spending for roads, schools, broadband internet, policing and health facilities?
Infrastructure is the government's most basic responsibilities, and Tennessee’s $82.7 billion backlog requires a transparent, long-term plan focused on safety, maintenance, public health and economic impact.
My guiding principle is that growth should pay for growth. I will work with the General Assembly to give counties and municipalities the authority to charge reasonable impact fees on large developments, while protecting affordable housing and small infill projects. I will also give back a share of real estate transfer tax revenue to the communities where it came from and prioritize state grants for high-growth and underserved areas.
For transportation, I will aggressively pursue federal funding and work with TDOT and local governments to fix roads and bridges while also strengthening rural routes, short-line rail, ports and waterways. I will prioritize reliable last-mile broadband and cellular service so rural families, schools, healthcare providers, farmers, and businesses can stay connected and be competitive.
In public schools, I will protect funding and direct infrastructure resources toward overcrowded, aging and faulty facilities. Public-safety investments should strengthen local police, fire and emergency services based on community needs, while expanding mental-health support and trauma-informed training for first responders.
State health care policy must fund rural hospitals, community clinics, maternity-care deserts, and the technology needed for telehealth and preventative care. These investments should also create Tennessee careers by connecting projects with apprenticeships, trade schools, TCAT pathways, and employers that provide good wages and strong worker protections.
Many Tennessee law enforcement agencies are investing significant resources into surveillance technology such as license plate readers, mounted cameras and drone units. What should the state’s role be in guiding and regulating the adoption of surveillance technology by law enforcement agencies?
As governor, I would keep Tennesseans free from a surveillance state. After 15 years working in the anti-trafficking field, I understand how technology can help law enforcement solve serious crimes and reduce the burden on officers. But tools such as automatic license plate readers, mounted cameras and drones should never infringe upon the constitutional rights of private citizens.
The state should establish clear minimum standards for any law enforcement agency using surveillance technology. Those standards should require public disclosure of how each system is used, strict limits on how long data is retained, strong cybersecurity and access controls, and detailed records showing who accessed the information and for what purpose. Agencies should be prohibited from selling surveillance data or using these tools to track people engaged in lawful activity. Information should not be shared with private companies or outside agencies without the appropriate legal processes.
State funding for surveillance technology should comply with these safeguards. Agencies should undergo regular independent audits and disclose data breaches or misuse. Local governments and the communities being monitored deserve a meaningful voice before new systems are deployed.
I would bring law enforcement officers, local officials, privacy experts, and community advocates together to develop practical statewide standards. Technology should help officers investigate crimes more efficiently, but public safety depends on public trust. Tennesseans should not have to surrender their privacy simply because surveillance technology has become easier to purchase.
Did you use AI assistance to help write your answers? If not, please write "N/A." If so, please elaborate.
N/A
Republican
Marsha Blackburn (incumbent)
Age: 74
Occupation: Untied States senator
IN-PERSON INTERVIEW
Marsha Blackburn did not participate in Knox News voter's guide interviews.
ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE
Tennessee is among the fastest-growing states in the country. What is the biggest challenge that growth creates? What's the greatest opportunity and how will you leverage it?
Tennessee’s business environment and our family values have made our state the best place in the country to live, work, and rear your children. Every day, freedom-loving Americans move to our state to take advantage of all that we have to offer.
This growth also brings a unique set of challenges to our communities. From traffic that keeps parents away from the family dinner table to the struggle many face affording a home, Tennessee needs to move forward on critical infrastructure development – roads, rivers, rails, runways, broadband – so we can keep up with our growth. As governor, I will make certain that our infrastructure gets the investment it needs and work to remove barriers, like burdensome permitting processes and unnecessary regulations, so that communities and the private sector can build the workforce housing and support systems we need. By tackling these challenges, we can let Tennessee’s growth continue without being held back by infrastructure that struggles to support it.
The number one thing that growth brings to Tennessee is increased opportunity. When companies move here and grow here, they invest in our state and bring great-paying jobs and the ability of small business to supply them. That means more good jobs for our next generation and a stronger economy that allows our homegrown businesses to thrive as well. As governor, I will keep taxes low and remove burdensome regulations so that businesses and families can continue to thrive in our great state, whether they moved here because of our strong conservative policies or have been here for generations.
The state's Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations reported in February that the state needs at least $82.7 billion in public infrastructure improvements by 2029, a $5 billion increase from the year before. Much of the increase is in transportation. What are your plans to address urgent infrastructure spending for roads, schools, broadband internet, policing and health facilities?
Tennessee’s infrastructure has not been able to keep up with the growth of our state as families move here for increased economic opportunity and conservative government. From traditional infrastructure like our roads, rails, rivers and runways, to broadband and energy infrastructure that includes nuclear power, I will work to build an infrastructure that grows with us.
The first thing I will do as governor is to skinny-up our state government with a GLP, a government lessening plan. By cutting away unnecessary and wasteful spending, we can invest more in what matters to the day-to-day lives of Tennesseans, especially critical infrastructure projects. Increased investment in our roads and transportation infrastructure can help alleviate the traffic that frustrates every citizen in this state.
Beyond that, I will make certain that our rural communities get the investment that they need to grow along with the rest of the state, whether that be expanding broadband access to every Tennessean or investing in rural health care. By using innovative solutions, like in Fentress County with their free-standing emergency room model, we can work to address the infrastructure needs of rural Tennessee.
Many Tennessee law enforcement agencies are investing significant resources into surveillance technology such as license plate readers, mounted cameras and drone units. What should the state’s role be in guiding and regulating the adoption of surveillance technology by law enforcement agencies?
As governor, I will make certain that our law enforcement agencies are fully funded and have every resource that they need to keep our communities safe. These new technologies can be used by our law enforcement agencies as an important tool to keep criminals off our streets, but we must make certain that these tools are being used within the appropriate bounds. I am committed to ensuring not just the safety, but also the privacy of Tennesseans. The state must put safeguards and privacy protections in place to ensure these technologies are used only to investigate a crime. Tennessee will never become a 24-hour surveillance state like Communist China, and those who try to misuse these tools must be prosecuted for a felony offense.
Did you use AI assistance to help write your answers? If not, please write "N/A." If so, please elaborate.
I did not use AI assistance for my answers. While AI is an important 21st-century tool, when given the opportunity to share my vision for our great state with Tennesseans, I think it is important to use words that are fully my own.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee governor's race voter's guide: Meet the candidates
